AHS Weekly Update- Week of October 24th, 2011

On behalf of all the AHS staff, I’d like to thank our students and their families for an absolutely amazing first round of SLCs last week! It was an honor to listen in on all the discussions regarding growth, development and success. We are tremendously proud of our students and it was great to see them shine. Thank you for such a great Student- Led event!

Please take a moment to review the following updates:

LINK UPDATES

Truth of War Exhibition

Rocket Launch Exhibition

No School Friday

AHS Fall Friendraising Event

LINK UPDATES

AHS Power Lunch

Who: Linda Barnes, Certified Nurse Midwife

What: Learn about being a medical provider

When: October 25th at 11:30 a.m.

Where: Spanish Room

Why: An opportunity for students to learn about career opportunities in the public sector of health care from aCertified Nurse Midwife with 25 years of experience in New York City, East Africa, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.

HEALTH Day

HEALTH Day (Hands-on Experience and Leadership for Tomorrow's Healthcare professionals) takes place on Wed. Nov. 9th at 10 am at Montezuma-Cortez High School Campus. A free event that includes lunch, materials, and leadership training. Register with Rachael Sands by October 19th; the sign-up is on my door. Email internship@animashighschool.com

Truth of War Exhibition

Date: Tuesday, November 1

Time: 5:00-6:30

Location: Durango Rec Center

Description: 10th grade Humanities will be holding its first exhibition on Tuesday, November 1. In this project, students will be exhibiting their projects for our Truth of War project. In this project, students were asked to address the question, "What is the truth of war for a soldier?"

Drawing upon their knowledge of WWI and WWII, and the novels All Quiet on the Western Front and Slaughterhouse Five, students have crafted essays that address this question, and have developed projects in a form oftheir choosing that express the same perspective of their essay. We invite everyone to come see the projects and interact with our students. Questions, please contact lori.fisher@animashighschool.com

Rocket Launch Exhibition

9^th Grade Physics students will participate in a Rocket Launch Exhibition on November 3rd (Thursday) from 4-6 PM at the L Plata County Fairgrounds south field.

Students have been working closely with Ken Nash, an actual, local rocket scientist to create their shuttle designs. In addition to working with students on their designs and proposals, Ken will be involved with the projects’ final assessment. The top three student designs will be forwarded on to NASA with recommendations from Ken and his team. We anticipate all the classes to follow up this project with a field trip to an actual rocket assembly facility here in the four corners. This experience will be a BLAST and we look forward to seeing you at lift off! Questions, please contact dave.heerschap@animashighschool.com

No School Friday

AHS Campus will be closed so faculty can attend school wide professional development workshops this Friday, Oct. 28. We look forward to students returning on Monday with campus opening at its regular 7 AM time. Enjoy the three-day weekend!

AHS Fall Friendraising Event cannot waRSVP @pac@animahighschool.com with any issues, questions or concerns

Student-Led Conferences By Bridget Bentz Sizer

Traditional parent-teacher conferences can feel like a chore for everyone involved: parents frequently come out of the 10-minute conference feeling like they don't have a good sense of what their child does on a day-to-day basis; teachers can feel burned out after a day of nonstop meetings with parents; and students, who are typically left out of the process entirely, may feel anxious about having people discuss them behind closed doors. So, in the face of these realities, some schools are doing away with the conferences entirely and implementing student-led conferences (SLCs) instead.

Phil Wager teaches science and math at High Tech High, a charter school in Chula Vista, Calif., that has used SLCs since its inception in 2007. Wager describes the conferences, which happen twice a year, as "similar to parent-teacher conferences, but with the student leading it." At High Tech High, parents come in for 20-minute meetings with their child, during which time the student presents a portfolio of work from each of her classes. Several parent-student conferences take place at the same time, with one teacher in the room and available to assist if necessary. But though the teacher is there, the idea is that the student is the one speaking and taking ownership for her work—and of the subjects she needs to work on.

"If the teacher sits down, then the parents talk to the teacher … the idea is to put the student completely in charge of the conference so the educator tries to stay out of the picture as much as possible," explains Patti Kinney, the associate director of middle-level services at the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Kinney is an enthusiastic advocate of SLCs, which she helped implement as a middle-school principal in Talent, Oregon. She says there's no age requirement for the conferences—she's seen kindergarten-age kids participate in them—but she notes that younger children generally need more support and facilitation from the teacher. "With younger students, the child's teacher generally sits at the table but has the student lead the conference and go through the portfolio with their parents," she explains.

Kinney says that overall the conferences were a very positive experience at her school—and parents seemed to agree. "When we started, we had 40 to 45 percent attendance rate [for traditional parent-teacher conferences], but when we moved into SLCs, it shot up to 90 percent," she says.

But how forthcoming are students in the conferences—especially if the teacher is out of earshot? Will a kid who fails to turn in assignments 'fess up to it? Kinney says yes. "Kids are pretty good about being honest when you give them a chance." Besides, she adds, because SLCs rely on samples of work, if the work isn't there, the child is forced to explain why not.

Not only do SLCs hold students accountable for their successes and failures, they also allow them to practice real-life skills, like speaking with adults, advocating for themselves and setting goals for the future (each SLC typically ends with the student presenting specific goals for himself). Wager compares the experience to a job interview, and he says that visitors to High Tech High are often surprised at how comfortable his students are speaking with adults. When the students go off to college, says Wager, they have a "complete fearlessness" in talking to professors.

But not all parents are sold on the experience. Carma Bruckner, whose teenage son attends a charter high school that uses SLCs, says the experience was "very limited" in terms of usefulness and overall "very awkward." Though she acknowledges that the conferences may be beneficial to parents who don't have ongoing conversations with their children, she adds, "If you are a parent that has a good dialogue with your child, there's only so much you can say. … As a parent, it would have been much more helpful if the teacher had more input into [the conference]."

Wager acknowledges that SLCs might not be for every parent, but he adds that when it comes to parents and kids, "There's no such thing as too much communication." And for her part, Kinney agrees. "Anytime you have parents and a child sitting down talking for 20 to 30 minutes, it's a positive experience," she says.

See this article at: http://www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool/student-led-conferences.html

AHS Weekly Update- Week of October 10th, 2011

It’s hard keeping up with such busy Ospreys! Exhibitions, bonanzas, seminars, NWEA testing and rigorous projects are all in full swing at Animas High. Our climbing, mountain biking and robotics teams are all charging ahead with their seasons. Our student athletes continue to find success on Durango’s local soccer, softball, tennis, swimming, volleyball, football and cross-country teams. Test prep classes, project week interest meetings and this weekend’s college fair road trip round out an incredibly robust week here at AHS!

Please take a moment to review the following updates:

DCAT partners with AHS

Follow AHS Online

Campus Tours

Charters in the News

School Schedule

Aspen College Fair

Parent Mailing

DCAT partners with AHS

Durango Community Access Television will be partnering with students at Animas High School by relocating their production and editing equipment to the school. The combination of Animas High's project-based learning curriculum, public exhibition program, and the school’s demonstrated commitment to connect students in relevant ways to the larger community are an excellent fit with DCAT’s mission of providing media tools, education, and distribution systems to the community to promote public discourse and free expression from a diversity of voices. Students taking the Video Arts class will learn how to produce, direct, and edit short films, documentaries, and public service announcements.

Follow AHS Online

With so many amazing things happening at campus, real-time updates are incredibly important! Make sure you are following all the action online at:

www.animashighschool.com Not only AHS's homepage but a great launching off point for teacher websites, student DPs, information about AHS teams and clubs, etc…

www.animashighschool.blogspot.com Your Head of School's DP- has all the news and updates from AHS and the greater Charter School community

www.facebook.com/pages/Animas-High-School/129694133734262 Pictures and posts from campus and all of our school's programs

Campus Tours

Tours of Animas High School are available every Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.

Please contact pac@animashighschool.com or call 247-2474 to schedule a

time for a tour.

Charters in the News

Charter Schools Doing Well in Durango- Durango Herald

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20111006/NEWS01/710069934/-1/News01/Officials:-Charter-schools-doing-well-in-Durango

School Schedule

A friendly reminder, school is in session on Monday, Oct. 10^th, 2011. The next day-off for students occurs on October 28, 2011. AHS is closed on that Friday for a Staff Development Day.

Aspen College Fair

The Western Slope College Fair in Aspen is on Sunday, October 9th.

The entire junior class is planning to attend the fair! Because this is a full-day trip, the charter bus will be leaving early from the AHS parking lot. Please arrive at the school no later than 5:10 am or you will literally miss the bus. The bus will return to AHS by 8pm. Please be sure to pack a lunch and some snacks.

Head of School Michael Ackerman will lead the AHS contingent this Sunday. He will have the Lodge open at 5 AM for student drop offs. In advance of the fair, please take a look at the list of colleges participating at http://collegefairs.jobboardmount.com/college-attending/

Parent Mailing

Animas High is sending home a very important mailing this weekend. In this correspondence, you will find five important documents:

1. Student Race and Ethnicity Collection Form- Please fill out this form for the Colorado Dept. of Education which assists the state in identifying our school’s demographics

2. Economic Survey Form- Please fill out this form for the Colorado Dept. of Education

3. A Letter and Consent form concerning the 2011-12 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, which will be completed during our advisory program this fall.

4. How Can I Set My Student Up for Success Document- This list of helpful reminders was distributed last year and there have been many requests for re-distribution. This form will look great on your fridge!

5. 2011-12 Faculty Extra Help and Office Hours Schedule- Remember that the school also offers students additional extra help time every Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30- Humanities, Math and Science help available-No appointments necessary!

Officials: Charter schools doing well in Durango

Visit offers opportunity to view terrain for alternative schools

By Emery Cowan Herald Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: Wednesday, October 05, 2011 11:45pm

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When the executive director of the Colorado Charter School Institute visited Wednesday, administrators and board members from both Durango’s charters agreed that their schools are not only surviving but excelling.

Animas High School is in its third year, and Mountain Middle School is in its first year.

Mark Hyatt visited Durango as a part of the series of visits around the state to get public feedback about the charter school institute.

The institute serves as the authorizing district for 26 charters around the state.

While feedback from the public was sparse, the board members and heads of school from both schools used the opportunity to have a conversation with Hyatt about the state of Durango’s charters.

There have been road bumps, said Mountain Middle School head of school Jackie Oros. The middle school spent the first two weeks of school in an office building in Bodo Industrial Park, for example. It also has been challenging for teachers to create their own curriculum, Oros said.

And finances continue to be a concern for charters statewide, including those in Durango, Animas High School board member Tom Morrissey said. Charters do not have access to capital construction funds, so a big proportion of the student funds allocated by the state must be used to support their buildings, Morrissey said.

This year, Animas High School has to use $186,000 of its per-pupil revenue to pay rent, which works out to about $1,000 of the about $6,300 the state allocates to each student in the district, said Animas High School head of school Michael Ackerman.

Together, the charters serve about 10 percent of Durango’s middle and high-schoolers, the administrators said. That’s higher than the state average of 8½ percent, Hyatt said.

The reason is that parents wanted other options, the administrators and board members said.

“9-R wasn’t doing everything wrong, but they weren’t doing everything write,” said Mark Epstein, a member of Mountain Middle School’s board of directors.

Relations with Durango School District 9-R are slowly improving said Michelle McCullough-James, a Mountain Middle School board member. Since a meeting last spring between the district, Mountain Middle School and Animas High School, subcommittees with representatives from all three entities have continued to meet, McCullough-James said.

“Things are coming out that shed light on what has happened in the past,” she said.

ecowan@durangoherald.com

AHS Weekly Update- Week of October 3rd, 2011

It’s going to be a wonderfully busy week here at AHS! Please take a moment to review the following updates:

Meeting with Charter School Institute

PAC

2012 Project Week Interest Meeting

Freshman Exhibition

Meeting with Charter School Institute

The Executive Director of the Colorado Charter School Institute, Mark Hyatt and a Governor appointed member of his Board of Directors, Patricia Hayes, will host a public meeting as required by state law. The meeting will be held at Mountain Middle School at 108 W. 31st Street, on Wed., October 5th at 4 pm. The public is invited to comment on any aspect of operation of the Charter School Institute including it's oversight of Animas High School and Mountain Middle School. PAC There is a PAC meeting on Thursday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m. at AHS 2012 Project Week Interest Meeting This Thursday, students and families interested in learning more about the proposed Project week experience should attend this meeting! AFTERSCHOOL THURSDAY Course Description: Alamos, Mexico is a colonial village in northwestern Mexico that sits only a few hours south of Arizona. Alamos is a “Pueblo Magicos”, or “Magical Town” and is the northern gateway where the Sonoran desert of Arizona and Mexico meets the tropics of Latin America. This picturesque and friendly village was once the capital of northern Mexico and has a very rich history that includes indigenous groups such as the Yaqui and Mayo Indians, missionaries, mines, and wealth from the mines that reached all the way to the missions of San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. Alamos is a peaceful village with a Mexican and American population living together sharing it’s cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and cultural and religious celebrations such as the world renown Ortiz Tirado Music Festival. This colorful backdrop provides a wonderful setting to study Spanish and Mexican culture and friendly Mexican locals have opened their homes to students for “homestays” during the course. The Spanish classes are taught by Sonoran natives and include local history, cooking, songs, dance, and regional field trips. Students will start the class with a placement exam, cross cultural training, and local orientation. An important element of this course is the opportunity for students to do service work in Alamos, contributing social and environmentally conscious projects to the community while learning Spanish. Local trips will include working on the “Arbol Magico” organic farm and visiting the beach on the Sea of Cortez.

Freshman Exhibition

9th Grade Humanities class will be displaying their work on Thursday, October 6 from 6-8 p.m. at the STRATER HOTEL (Pullman Room) as part of the Heritage Days Celebration. For this project, 9th graders at Animas High will be studying Durango, past and present, through the lens of sociology. Students will be designing identity masks and essays that discuss the formation of their own identities.

Since this is the first Exhibition of the year, there are some guidelines to know about:

1. Exhibition is mandatory for all of his 9th grade humanities students.

2. Dress: It's formal for students. Boys should be in slacks, dress shoes, and button up shirts with ties. Girls should be in slacks or appropriate skirts, with a business like top (nice sweater, button up shirt, etc). As a guideline, dress should be similar to what a student would wear for a college/job interview. For those unable to purchase appropriate clothing on time, please contact pac@animashighschool.com

We may have some donated items that students can wear.

This is an opportunity for our students to show off their projects and answer questions. We encourage you to see lots of student projects while you are there and interact with many of the students.

Feel free to invite friends in the community.

Let's show them our support for all the great work they are doing.